Selling by gram weight…

Because of our location the area we are in we deal with a lot of people that are used to buying their gold by the scale. What this means is you take your 21 karat jewelry item or your 18 karat jewelry and put it on a scale weigh it and times it by what ever you are charging per gram.   This is much different from most jewelry stores that some of you may be used to for example a 21kt gold ring is weighed and priced in front of you.  Now the price is final yes but with gold prices the way they are this is creating havoc for us.  I love my customers, and anyone that has been reading this blog or shops with us will know this, but the look on my poor customers faces when they come to buy something is heart breaking.   I understand that they are going through sticker shock, I think we all are we have to go with the price of gold we are not like the mall stores that have their items tagged at already explosive mark ups we add a small percentage for our profit.  It does not matter that the item may have been bought by us when the gold price was a little lower I do have to replace it at todays prices, and when I sell that I have to take that in to consideration.  We can tell things are bad when a customer can get some genuine gem stone rings in our store for the same if not lower price then and 18 karat c.z. ring.  So for all of you who thought they could not afford to buy the real thing now is a good time to think about it at least in my store it is.  When you can find some diamond bracelets for 200.00 compared to a gold bracelet that my cost you 400.00 why not go for diamonds.  Just a thought this has been something we have been talking about in the store this past week, and I thought I would share it with you.